Masdar installs 19,000 solar home systems in Morocco

ABU DHABI, January 15, 2018

Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, has completed installing a landmark off-grid solar power project that extends energy access to 19,438 homes in more than 1,000 rural villages in Morocco, a report said.

The Morocco Solar Home Systems SHS) project is a partnership between Masdar and Morocco’s Office National de l'Electricite et de l'Eau Potable (ONEE), reported Emirates news agency Wam.

The initiative is contributing to Morocco’s ambitious electrification efforts that have so far connected nearly all rural areas in the country with electricity.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Morocco has around 128,000 homes powered by solar home systems, and ranks among the top three countries in Africa for the adoption of this technology.

"Morocco is a showcase for progressive policies and regulations that enable the adoption of renewable energy, and for effective public-private cooperation," Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, chief executive officer of Masdar, said. "This has paved the way for our partnership with ONEE to deliver the Morocco Solar Home Systems."

"Off-grid solar has the capacity to deliver electricity access to remote regions practically and cost-efficiently. Masdar is proud to have contributed our expertise and experience to help implement this transformative project, and we remain a committed partner of Morocco to support the realisation of its long-term clean energy goals,” he added.

Abderrahim El Hafidi, acting director-general of ONEE, said, "The solar home systems project will help us provide over 99 percent of our rural communities in Morocco with electricity. These remote, off-grid communities are often faced with challenging conditions in energy access, but this initiative is providing over 95,000 people with electricity through customised renewable energy solutions."

Each of the installed systems delivered for the project consists of 290-watt solar panels and batteries, with sufficient storage capacity for up to three days, ensuring an uninterrupted power supply. Each home is also provided with energy-efficient LED lamps and a 165-litre refrigerator.

Masdar will maintain the solar home systems for two years through its Engineering Procurement and Construction contractors. After this period, ONEE will manage the network for an additional eight years. Each home-owner contributes a small monthly fee towards the upkeep of the technology.